NY State of Mind
by thisyearslove
Summary: [DL] Danny stops by for pizza and beer.
1. Pizza and beer

Honestly, it wasn't like she had never thought about it. To say the thought had never entered her mind was a flat out lie and Lindsay Monroe was becoming a very good liar. As much as she liked to deny her feelings and pretend she was immune, the thought of him had entered her mind more than she liked to admit.

Lindsay was born in Montana, not on the planet Mars. A trained detective, she paid attention to the minor details in her job and she also happened to be a straight woman with five senses. No matter how much she liked to pretend she was, she was far from oblivious to the fact that Danny Messer was a very sexy man.

That fact was becoming more and more difficult to deny, she was soon realizing.

She knew it from the moment she saw him. Mac nodded behind her, telling her Danny would be doing the processing and he said in that thick, Bronx accent "That'd be me, Danny Messer. Howyadoin'?"

Lindsay could only smile and say hi back. She was too busy concentrating on getting her heart to stop racing. He stood behind her, invading her personal space and told her to take a deep breath and not to let on if she was nervous.

Lindsay _was_ nervous but she said the tiger was tranquillized and she could handle it. Danny retorted he meant Mac and she looked at her new boss, wondering if the stories of Mac she heard in Montana were true. So far, they weren't.

She could handle wading through a dumpster for a shotgun, taking apart the tiger dung for evidence or getting the 'easy' evidence. For some reason, being nicknamed Montana bothered her. For some reason, Danny was the only one who teased her about being from a rural community instead of being a native New Yorker.

The details of her predecessor's dismissal were rarely spoken about however she had heard a few rumours, none of which she believed. What she did know was, when she put in for the transfer, her former boss told her the principles and standards of conduct in New York would not be any different from the ethics of Bozeman. The New York translation was to make sure she kept her nose clean.

It became apparent Danny would be the hardest person to win over at the lab. Lindsay had an easy time fitting in with groups and thought she had a pretty good sense of humour but the nickname bothered her. _Montana_ he drawled as they stood just a few feet away from a pig they used for recreation. Mac and Stella never corrected him.

"_Montana_," she imitated his accent, as she walked up the stairs to her door. "Jackass."

Finding solitude in her apartment, took her boots off and hung up her coat before putting on the kettle for some tea rose water tea that Stella had turned her onto.

She had a particularly rough day and wasn't in the mood for anymore distractions. It didn't bother her that Polly was hitting on Mac while they were trying to collect evidence. She was tired and wanted to take her mind off work.

Unfortunately, taking her mind off work was something she was still working out. What relaxed her in Bozeman was hardly feasible these days. It wasn't though the city had a lack of entertainment; there were a million things to do and she was eager to try them all. But she knew she wouldn't be going horseback ridding, hiking or camping any time soon.

When she had the morning off she went for a run in the park, cleaned her apartment or looked into something new to try. Lindsay was in no mood for a run, her apartment was spotless and she wasn't looking for something new.

It took a few weeks, but she had actually grown comfortable sleeping at night. In Bozeman, the occasional siren would compete with crickets and the silence of a city actually at rest. New York City was the city that never sleeps - so rose water tea became Lindsay's way of winding down at the end of the day. If there was one thing she missed about Montana, it was the peace and quiet but the excitement of the city made up for it, tenfold.

Taking the clip out of her hair she found a hair elastic to pull her hair into a ponytail, a habit she had formed in her twenties. Her hair wasn't quite as long as it was then so she wound up with a few strays she was constantly tucking behind her ear.

She walked to her bedroom where she changed out of her green sweater and brown slacks into a hooded sweatshirt and black jogging shorts. As the water boiled she pulled on a pair of woolly socks and looked around her apartment with the same curiosity she used when processing a crime scene.

From what she understood, it was a decent sized one-bedroom apartment and she was growing accustomed to everything in her neighbourhood having everything she needed. The building had character and charm, except when she had a lot of groceries to carry up the four flights of stairs to her door. Lindsay learned only the newer buildings in the city were covered with thick wallpaper and tacky artwork and was happy to live in a building with hardwood floors and real paint on the walls. When she moved in the building the superintendent handed her his card as he explained most of what she'd call him for would be the radiator or a leaky pipe when he wasn't working on the the elevator.

The telephone rang just then and Lindsay crossed her apartment to her bedroom where the phone sat on her bed.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey kiddo," replied a familiar voice.

"Allie?" Lindsay asked.

The woman laughed and Lindsay let out a happy sigh. A phone call from Allie White these days might rare but they were well worth the wait.

"How's it going?" she asked.

Lindsay looked around her apartment and shrugged. "It's going great. New York is everything you said it would be."

"Did you go on the tour, like I suggested?" Allie asked.

Lindsay nodded. "The apartment building with six deaths in the last ten years was pretty incredible. I can't believe every apartment had someone living in it."

"You weren't looking in there for real estate were you?" she teased and the longtime girlfriends shared a laugh. Allie smiled in her kitchen in Montana, standing over a sink of dishes with a window in front of her of the most gorgeous stretch of land and mountains at the edge of the horizon. "That's New York for you. People will live just about anywhere just to say they live in Manhattan."

"I'm one of those people," Lindsay reminded her.

Allie laughed. "Don't tell me you actually thought of moving in there?"

She sighed, sitting down on her bed and pulled a pillow onto her lap. "I told you my heart was set on Manhattan and I found a great place. No curses, no hexes and great neighbours."

"Is the elevator working today?" Allie asked and Lindsay was silent. "Okay well besides the lazy elevator, things are good then?"

"Yeah, they're great. I miss the open sky," Lindsay admitted. "I miss everyone."

Allie reminded her, "But you're better there than here, right?"

Lindsay shrugged.

"You're shrugging on the other end of the line, aren't you?" Allie asked, already knowing the answer.

She smiled and decided talking about diaper genies, potty training and troublesome husbands would be better conversation. "How's everybody doing? I miss you guys."

"Duncan is great - he's gotten over the colic, thank goodness and I'm taking him to see Amy for photos next week. Paula is doing so well in pre-school," Allie described. "She's learning so much. I love the teachers at her school, they're absolutely fabulous. She comes home and just talks about her day. My little Paula."

Lindsay was just starting to picture the life of her best friend when there was a knock at her front door. "Allie, hold on, there's someone at the door."

"Deepen your voice so you sound like a man," Allie advised.

"What?" Lindsay asked as she walked toward her door, carrying handset and receiver with her.

The best investment Lindsay had made was a long telephone cord that allowed her to walk the expanse of her apartment and have one phone jack. She liked it because she would also always know where the phone was, unlike when she had a cordless phone at her home in Montana and she was constantly losing the phone.

"Speak in a deep voice. If it's a crazy person they'll think you're a large man and not attack you," Allie advised.

"Allie, it's not _that_ dangerous here," Lindsay retorted, standing on her toes to see out the peep hole. Lindsay stood on her toes again to look a second time, making sure she wasn't seeing things. "No way."

"Who is it?" Allie asked impatiently.

"It's someone from work," Lindsay replied, standing on flat feet and deciding to open the door. Unlocking the dead bolt, she opened the door and came face to face with Danny Messer.

"Hey Montana," he said lazily, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his well fitting jeans.

_Damn he fills those out well_, Lindsay thought.

"Who is it?" Allie asked again.

Lindsay watched Danny's eyes travel up her bare legs to her oversized sweatshirt and to her face. She looked at him expectantly and smiled into the phone. "It's Danny Messer."

"The pain in the ass?" she asked and Lindsay laughed. "Oh my. I'll call you back tomorrow."

"No, Allie-" Lindsay protested but the line went dead.

"Important phone call?" Danny asked, nodding toward the phone in her hands as he walked into her apartment.

Lindsay watched Danny with curiously. "Can I help you, Messer?"

Danny shrugged noncommittally. "I was going to get some pizza, thought you might want to come."

Lindsay put the phone back on the handset and closed the door behind him. "I'm not really dressed for..."

"We could order in, if you want," he interrupted.

Nodding her head once, Lindsay understood this was not the time to kick him out of her apartment. She handed Danny the phone and walked into her bedroom to put on some jeans. When she emerged from her bedroom his shoes were at the door, his jacket hung up next to hers while he sat with on her couch his feet up on her coffee table confirming the order.

_That was fast_, she thought.

Danny looked up and nodded once to her. "Pepperoni okay?"

Lindsay nodded.

"Yeah, large pepperoni and a Greek salad for two," he said into the phone. Danny looked up at her with his sharp blue eyes and handed her the receiver. "They need your address."

Lindsay wondered how he found her place when he was standing at her door but shrugged and took the phone from him anyway. She gave the pizza place her name, phone number and address and the older man on the other end told her it would be thirty minutes.

She hung up the phone and set it on the coffee table in front of her, debating whether to sit down or stand. She opted for the former and ran her hands along the tops of her thighs. "So."

Danny lazily thumbed the TV remote control, his eyes on the blank screen in front of them. "So."

"So, do you want something to drink?" she offered.

Danny nodded and Lindsay left the couch to get them a drink. From the kitchen she could hear the television turn on and suddenly the noise of the game filled her apartment. Looking into her fridge she stared at the six pack of beer and unopened bottle of red wine. She decided if they were drinking something you could get in a sports bar, it would be officially a hangout between friends and nothing else and she opted for beer.

"The Yankees are playing today," he said, nodding toward the television.

"Do you go to a lot of their games?" she asked, handing him his beer.

Their fingers brushed against one another's briefly and Danny's eyes penetrating into her. Lindsay tucked an errant strand behind her ear and sat next to him on the couch. She noted Danny was sitting in the middle of the couch and anywhere she sat was going to close to him.

"I see a few a season if I'm lucky," he replied. "I end up taping most of them and watching after my shift."

Lindsay nodded. Baseball season had ended but she wanted to see a game when it started. She said this to Danny and he grinned for the first time since entering her apartment.

"Maybe I'll take you to one," he replied. "It's an experience you'd never find in Montana."

Lindsay thought for a second Danny took it personally she wasn't born and raised in New York, like she had a choice. She turned her attention to the baseball game, which was turning to commercial. A commercial break was always a better time to bring up something than in the middle of an inning.

"Do you have something against non-New Yorkers, Danny?" she asked and took a sip from her beer.

Danny raised one eyebrow as he turned his head to her. "Are you kidding me?"

"You like to make a point of bringing up the fact I'm from Montana," she reminded him and shrugged. "Why?"

He brought the beer bottle to his lips and smiled before taking a sip. "Because it bugs you."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Very grown up."

Danny shrugged. "It's a turf thing. You came in a week after Aiden had left. What's a guy to do?"

"Aiden Burn?" she asked.

Danny nodded. "Yeah. She and I were like that." He held up his crossed fingers. "We had a nice little family goin' before she left."

She wanted to say it wasn't her fault Aiden broke the rules, she wanted to say she wasn't the reason Mac fired her. She wanted to say she was happy Aiden did what she did because she needed to get out of Bozeman more than anything. In all honesty Lindsay was glad she did because otherwise she'd still be back in Montana.

"I don't have any regrets about where I am or what I'm doing," she replied instead. She hoped he understood what she meant.

Danny looked up to her face again. Lindsay's brown eyes searched his, wondering why he chose to come over to her place tonight. As if working together wasn't enough of togetherness but she had few friends in the city and wasn't feeling up to kicking him out.

"Were you two more than that?" Lindsay asked holding up her fingers, mimicking Danny.

"Nah." Danny shook his head. "She was more like a sister. I haven't really talked to her since she left though."

Lindsay took another sip of her beer. "How's your case going?"

Danny finished off his beer and left to the kitchen. "You want another one?" he asked pointing to his empty bottle.

Lindsay looked down to her bottle, noting there was still two-thirds left. "Sure." She took a long sip and turned on the television. "Do you want to watch the game? We could watch something else..." she called to him from the living room.

This was all new to her. Having Danny over at her apartment wasn't exactly something she had thought about. The one time the thought had entered her mind she wasn't exactly thinking about what they'd watch on television.

Danny didn't answer her and she got up from the couch, taking her beer with her. He was standing in her kitchen, staring at the pictures on her refrigerator door like he was at her parents house and looking at her baby pictures. Lindsay stood beside him and took another sip of her beer.

She pointed to the picture of an elderly man in tight jeans, a checkered shirt, tanned skin and a white cowboy hat standing next in a large open field. "That's my grandpa. He had a ranch outside of Bozeman. So much space I think you'd probably die from lack of pollution."

Danny leaned in closer to the picture and smiled. "Get out of here."

There were a few pictures of friends Lindsay pointed out and he asked about every single one of them. The one Lindsay skipped over was the one that caught Danny completely off guard. It was Lindsay, maybe six months ago, and another man. Her hair was a little longer than she wore it now and she was tanned, in jeans, cowboy boots and a button up shirt he would die to see and a smile he had only seen once. A tall, black man with strong arms was holding Lindsay and smiling at the camera like they were on their honeymoon.

Danny pointed to the picture. "Who's that?"

Lindsay blushed and took a sip from her bottle, nearly finishing the cool liquid. When she hung the picture she didn't think anyone would ever see it besides her.

"That's-"

There was a loud knock at her door and Lindsay closed her eyes, thankful she had time to come up with an explanation.


	2. Beer and opera tickets

Danny insisted on paying for the pizza and they watched the game in relative silence aside from the commentary of the stats of players Danny seemed to like. Lindsay wasn't even sure what team was playing but tried to keep up and nodded as though she understood.

Her understanding of sports was basic but she knew a few things. Home team in whites, away team in darks. She had decided basketball was an amazing sport to watch but hard to follow with all of the players in college, university and professional teams. Football was violent but not as gory as rugby and far more confusing especially if someone tried explaining the difference between the NFL and the CFL. Hockey was an intense sport and the players generally had more fractures, lost teeth and injuries in one game than any other victim at a typical crime scene. She also knew that baseball had nine innings which were easier to enjoy with beer and hot dogs at a game and beer and pizza when watching at home.

Lindsay studied the television, debating whether to ask who the other team was. The initials in the top of the screen weren't helping anything and every time she thought they mentioned the team, Danny would start about another player. His stats, his history, who he's played for in the past and if he's Yankee material or not. She also noted Danny wasn't as keen on the players from outside New York and less likely to think they had a future if they had second houses in California.

As he chewed the pizza thoughtfully and polished off his second beer. "So who's the guy?"

Lindsay looked over from the television, a commercial for muscle cream and found Danny to be watching her. She raised her eyebrows, questioningly. "What guy?"

Danny nodded toward her kitchen, cracking open a third he had waiting for him. "In the picture."

Suddenly she felt shy and embarrassed. "No one," she murmured, taking a long sip from her beer and shoving more pizza in her mouth.

Danny grinned. It was just too cute. "Old boyfriend?"

Brought up in a home not to speak with her mouth full, Lindsay shrugged as she chewed the large, greasy pizza. It could have been the best pizza she had ever eaten and she said so when she swallowed what was in her mouth.

Danny reached over with his left hand and wiped a small glob of sauce from the corner of her mouth with his thumb and gave her a look like he didn't believe her. Instead of wiping the sauce on the napkin on his lap, he licked it off his thumb and turned his head slowly back to the television, like he had been doing that his whole life.

Lindsay's heart nearly stopped and she said the first thing she could think of. "Who are the Yankee's playing?" she blurted out.

Danny took another sip of his beer and focused his attention on her again. "Are you kidding me? We've been watching this game for over an hour."

"Well you've been talking about forty different guys since the game started and I haven't exactly been taking notes," she defended. Finishing off her second beer, she put the bottle on the table and realised she was feeling silly, something she felt when she was drunk.

"They're playing Florida," he said with a smile but it sounded like Flah-ri-dah and Lindsay couldn't stop an involuntary smile.

He took another sip of his beer and Lindsay deduced with the way he his eyes were drooping and the redness in his cheeks, Danny might feel a little tipsy himself. He didn't seem like a lightweight with his liquor and she wondered if she had missed him drinking a beer or two.

"How many more innings?" she asked.

"Four," he replied. "Are you getting bored?"

Lindsay shook her head; she was enjoying being with him in such a still state. Danny struck her as a 'shouting at the television' kind of Yankee fan but she guessed he saved that for the stadium and the sports bars.

"I like baseball," she replied. "It's hard to follow when you don't know the players though."

Danny grinned. "Do you know who's winning?"

Lindsay stopped and gave a funny smile. "No."

Danny and Lindsay shared a look and laughed. Danny put his hand on hers and shook his head. After he stopped laughing she gently pulled her hand from his to pick up her pizza.

Danny eyed her approvingly. "You got a pretty good appetite for-"

Lindsay put her hand over Danny's mouth and shook her head, trying to chew as fast as she could. "Don't say it."

With a curious look, he asked her why not and she her head. "C'mon, women in Montana don't like to be commented on their healthy appetites?"

"Healthy appetite?"

"Yeah, I like to see a woman who can pack it in," he said approvingly and Lindsay laughed. "What?"

"Pack it in? I'll remember to eat less when I get a date," she replied, opening another bottle.

"What's wrong with that?" he said.

"You make it sound like I'm a prize pig out for the blue ribbon," she explained and they laughed. "Sounds attractive."

His face was serious and his voice was low as he assured her, "It is."

Lindsay smiled quickly and felt the colour rising in her cheeks. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied and took another bite.

"That's good advice," he said, watching the television.

Lindsay's telephone rang then and Danny reached over to the coffee table to answer it, obviously forgetting where he was.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Is Lindsay Monroe there?" a male voice asked.

"Can I ask who's calling?" Danny replied, glancing over at Lindsay.

She reached for the phone and Danny put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"It's James Ivey," the man replied.

"James Ivey," Danny repeated and watched Lindsay's face turn from annoyance to shocked.

"Yeah, James Ivey," the man repeated. "Tell her I've got the opera tickets."

Lindsay shook her head, telling him to hand over the phone but Danny just grinned. This was fun.

"Lindsay's in the bathroom, can I take a message?" he said.

"Tell her I called," James replied and gave Danny his number. Danny wrote the number on a napkin and handed it to Lindsay.

Danny hung up the phone and gave her an amused look. "Well, well, Miss Monroe. Opera tickets with James."

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "It's not like that."

Danny's expression told her he didn't believe her.

"He lives in my building and his little girl was locked out of the apartment one afternoon so I sat with her until he got home," she explained. "He has a friend who works at the Met and he said he'd get me some tickets."

"So, why didn't you want to talk to him?" he countered with a smile.

Lindsay shook her head. "How's your girlfriend?"

"I think he's trying to ask you out," Danny said with a laugh and Lindsay looked at him in humoured disbelief. "C'mon. You gotta get creative in New York, this city has it all."

"I think New Yorkers are a little cynical," she retorted with a grin. "I'd much rather just be asked flat out but then again, I am from Montana."

Danny nudged her gently and took another sip of his beer. Three innings later they were still on the couch, only two slices of pizza remained uneaten and there were now seven empty bottles of beer on Lindsay's coffee table.

There was a knock at her door and Lindsay sighed as she got up from the couch, using Danny's leg as leverage. He watched her stand on her toes to see who it was and grinned, thinking it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

Lindsay opened the door. "Hi."

Danny looked over to the doorway from the couch to see a tall, dark haired man smiling at her affectionately. He wondered what kind of nerve a man had to come over when another man answers a woman's phone but Danny surmised if he was after Lindsay, he'd do the same.

"How's it going?" he said.

Lindsay smiled shyly. James was a really good looking man but from what Lindsay understood from James' daughter, he and his wife weren't divorced yet.

"I'm good," she replied, shifting her weight. "I haven't seen you. I thought you ended up going on that vacation Jenna mentioned."

"It's not quite camping season yet," he said with a wink and Lindsay laughed with a nod. He handed her an envelope. "Anyway, it had been a while since I called so I thought it would be okay to drop these off for you."

Danny suddenly felt like he was seven years old and overhearing a conversation between his mother and their building super, who had a thing for Danny's mom. Deciding not to be ignored, he cleared his throat loudly and took another sip of beer.

Lindsay took the tickets and gave him a smiled. "I appreciate it. Thanks."

"Jenna can't stop talking about you. I'm happy you had such a positive influence on her," he replied. "She's actually interested in school again."

Lindsay shrugged modestly. "I didn't do anything. I just told her why I liked being a scientist."

James looked over to Danny, studying the beers and pizza box as well as Danny's centered position on the couch. He smiled down at Lindsay good-naturedly and caught Danny's eye.

"Howyadoin'?" Danny said with a cool nod.

"Good, you?" James replied.

"Good," he replied and looked at Lindsay. "You're missing the game."

James shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not much of a Yankees fan."

Danny held back a smile and Lindsay gave him a warning look. It was all she needed to know Danny might say something else to offend James and she touched James' arm gently, pulling his attention back to her.

"So I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

James agreed and left her doorway. The door was barely shut when Danny stood up from the couch with his arms spread wide.

"Are you kidding me?" he said loudly.

"Keep your voice down!" she whispered, walking toward him to put her hand over his mouth.

Danny shook his head, taking her small hand in his. "No true New Yorker says he's no fan of the Yankees."

Lindsay shrugged. "I think he's from Rhode Island."

Danny scoffed. "Rhode Island? That guy can't say he's grown up on the eastern seaboard and not picked a favourite baseball team."

Talking about James with Danny was just weird. She also didn't want to put-down someone for not choosing a baseball team, especially when she hadn't decided if she were a Yankees fan herself.

"How is your case going?" Lindsay attempted as she sat back down on the couch. "Mac told me a little about it but I'm not sure I follow."

He crossed the room and sat back on the couch next to her. Shifting restlessly, he picked a piece of invisible lint of his jeans. She noted he had changed after work into a well fitting dark blue Yankee's T-shirt and a blue zip-up sweat shirt. Lindsay watched him, one lip bit between her teeth, she desperately wished she would just feel comfortable. It was still a new friendship or at least what she thought was a friendship. Men were a lot different in New York, especially the men of Danny's calibre.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "We got a guy with writing all over his body, who was found in a dumpster in the expensive carpet he stole from his older brother."

Lindsay smiled. "Was he a Big Labowski fan?"

Danny gave her a surprised smile. "You never know!" Danny laughed and shook his head. "Anyway, tomorrow we're looking at everyone who knew him."

"He's a writer?" Lindsay asked and Danny nodded. "Every peice of art is always worth more after the death of the artist."

Danny nodded. "I've thought about that too. The final chapter of a novel written on the body of the writer."

"It's a sensational story and even more juicy for a book tour," she said. "But murder is never that simple."

"This job will teach you that," he confirmed and finished his beer.

Lindsay nodded. "I 'm learning a lot."

"I'm still learning. Every day you find out something about a city you lived in your whole life," he replied. He checked his watch and let out a long sigh. "I'm gonna get going."

Danny leaned over on the couch and kissed her cheek, like he had been doing it his whole life. She could hear his lips make contact with the skin on her face, and her face flushed.

Unable to look up from her hands, she nodded. "Okay."

Danny pulled her off the couch and she followed him like two teenagers to the door. He ran his hand down her arm and gave her a nod. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lindsay shut the door behind him, knowing she wouldn't get an ounce of sleep that night.


	3. Subway tickets and coffee

Danny woke up the next morning with a full stomach and a grin on his face. The Yankees might have lost the game but he still had a great time at Lindsay's apartment.

When he got off work last night he knew the Yankee game was on and contemplated heading to a sports bar. The usual crowd would be at there and shouting at the television with the guys was almost as good an outlet as boxing or running. He knew he wanted to have a beer, watch the game but he hadn't figured he would end up on Lindsay's couch.

Whatever compelled him to show up at Lindsay's apartment was unknown to him and before he understood what he was doing, he was looking up her address at work. Before he could decide if it was a bad idea or not, he wrote down her apartment number and decided he would do whatever it took to get inside. He thought about flowers, he thought about bringing a bottle of wine but instead he decided the best way to get in would be persistence.

_Don't take no for an answer, Messer,_ he thought.

Much to his delight, she let him in. Even better, she didn't say anything when he sat in the middle of the couch, leaving her to sit next to him. He planned it that way but he was a man, could anyone really blame him?

The first time he asked her to get a bite to eat was during the dolls case the same way he used to ask Aiden. Although, he had never asked Aiden to get some food after he had just been holding her hand. Lindsay's smooth, little hand in his was cold from the winter air but warm against his skin. Even though he might have agreed it was better to get back to the lab at the time, he was disappointed he missed a meal with her.

As he turned on the shower and stepped inside the stall he thought about the way she nervously smiled at him their first encounter. She had walked dutifully past him to Mac as he took pictures of the tiger's cage. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him after he introduced himself. Aside from the fact they were in a zoo and the remnants of a human body were around them, she smelled fantastic and he made a mental note to invade her space as often as possible.

It was too easy to get one in on the new girl. She was nervous and it was adorable. It was juvenile of him and he knew it. If Danny and Lindsay were on the playground at grade school he'd be pulling her hair or pushing her down to get her attention. Calling her Montana was just another way to get her attention, and it worked. It might have irritated her but he couldn't help liking the way she flared her nostrils and took a breath, stopping herself from snapping at him.

Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and began brushing his teeth. He thought about Lindsay's neighbour coming by after Danny had answered her phone.

_The nerve of some people,_ he thought.

He had to admire the man's restraint. Danny would have been over in five minutes, not over two hours later.

Danny scoffed at the idea of opera tickets as a thank-you for babysitting although Danny was probably hanging out with the wrong people if it worked and Lindsay went with the annoying neighbour.

"What kind of man doesn't pick a baseball team?" Danny thought out loud with slight disgust.

Lindsay wouldn't understand how shameful a lack to a team, NY or otherwise, was until the Yankees were well in it this season. He thought about taking Lindsay to a game, a NY cap sitting on her head and of course a Yankees jacket. It wasn't long before his mind drifted to picturing Lindsay kneeling on his bed with the Yankees T-shirt he wore to her apartment last night.

_Oh yeah, definitely have to take Montana to a Yankee game,_ he thought with a smile.

Against all preceding relationships and opposing everything he wanted to feel about her, Danny knew he was attracted to her. The way he had been thinking since she walked into that tiger cage was due to her. Things in his life might have been complicated and it wasn't like it wouldn't be more so if they were involved but his mind was racing toward the idea of her.

It wasn't like when they first met he didn't think about it. Any typical man would ponder the idea of a cute new co-worker and while Danny had never had a problem getting dates, a man like Danny didn't attract a woman like Lindsay.

Women like Lindsay went for safer bedfellows, like Sheldon Hawkes. Men like Hawkes were respectful to the rookies to the team, lived for medicine or something noble like fighting crime and with spotless records.

It was the train of thought which worried Danny about a possible relationship already happening between Lindsay and Hawkes.

"Nah," he said out loud.

Hawkes was too smart to get involved with someone at work although Danny wondered what stopped the medical examiner. He stopped himself that train of thought, realizing if he would just drive himself crazy.

Danny finished getting ready for work, grabbed a coffee on his way to the subway before getting on at his stop. Looking around the subway car he smiled when he saw his new friend with a coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

The subway came to a stop and the car emptied out, as well as a spot next to her. He made his way quickly through the car and sat next to the petite brunette and she looked up from her paper.

"Hi," she said quietly.

Danny touched his coffee to hers in a 'cheers' manner and she smiled. "Morning."

"I didn't know you took this line," he commented.

Lindsay tucked the newspaper between them and moved closer to him as an elderly woman approached them, making room for her.

"Thank you, dear," she said and Lindsay smiled.

"I don't usually," she replied "My neighbour needed me to walk his daughter to school."

"James Ivey," he guessed.

Lindsay nodded. "He had an early meeting."

"How old is Jenna?" he asked. Danny wasn't sure if he wanted to know but making conversation with Lindsay was better than sitting in silence.

"She's ten," she replied.

"Divorce is hard on kids," he noted.

"She's a smart girl," Lindsay said. "She knows it's not her fault but she doesn't quite understand why she's in the middle."

"Tread lightly there," he advised. "Too involved and suddenly you're being subpoenaed to testify by a divorce lawyer."

Lindsay looked up at Danny and leaned into him. "Speaking from experience?"

"I don't like to testify and tell," he teased and she nudged him playfully.

The car jerked and the car suddenly went dark. In an attempt to catch her balance, Lindsay clutched onto his knee. Instinctively, he put his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him. Danny tried to ignore the feeling of her nails digging into his leg through his jeans and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

The lights in the car came on and she looked at him with an embarrassed smile.

"You all right Montana?" he asked, still holding her shoulders.

"Subway nerves," she said letting go of his knee.

Danny propped his elbow on the seat behind her and left his fingers lingering on her jacket. "Is that like fear of flying?"

She smiled at him and took a sip of her coffee. "You big on flying?"

Danny shook his head. "No reason to fly anywhere. This city has it all."

"You wouldn't be interested in a trip somewhere tropical?" she asked. "Jamaica or Hawaii?"

With a boyish smile he squeezed her shoulder. "You askin'?"

Lindsay shook her head. "Are you sure there's room enough in this car for us and your ego?"

Danny gave her a nudge and they shared a laugh.

The elderly woman next to Lindsay cleared her throat. "Would you and your boyfriend mind telling me when we get to Lexington?"

Danny smiled, leaning over Lindsay. "No problem."

The next stop arrived and the elderly woman left the cab and Lindsay gave Danny a nudge.

"What?"

"You should have corrected her," she said quietly.

"This isn't a small town, Lindsay," he reminded her. "One old woman calling me your boyfriend isn't going to end up in the newspaper."

Lindsay smiled. "Old habits die hard."

"I'm not saying everything isn't connected," he theorised. "But you gotta learn to relax."

"Making sure everyone has their facts straight was a big deal," Lindsay replied. "Propriety is big where I'm from."

"This is New York," Danny reminded her as their car pulled to their stop. He put his hand on her lower back as they made their way through the crowd "You've got to understand we're at a higher standard but no one cares if two people in the lab are involved."

"Wouldn't Mac?" she asked.

Danny shrugged one shoulder. "I don't think it's ever come up among any of us."

"You mean he and Stella never..." Lindsay waved her hand back and forth between them. "Before Frankie?"

Danny grinned. "You kidding me?"

"I get a really intense vibe from them," she said with grin. "They're close and I get the feeling there's something underlying. Maybe it's respect or admiration but I get a vibe. You don't get a vibe?"

In all honesty, he did but he didn't think he should entice Lindsay to snoop into the past. If Mac wanted to be open about his love life - and that would happen when hell froze over - then Danny would ask how it's going. Although now that she brought it up, _he_ was curious.

Danny watched her throw away her empty cup and he nodded his head toward the coffee shop they were approaching. "You want another?"

Lindsay nodded and Danny lead her into the coffee shop. He ordered for them and as they waited at the counter she gave him an expectant look. Maybe it was the way she was looking at him, maybe it was the crowded coffee shop or the fact that they were standing so close but Danny had to suddenly fight every urge in his body not to kiss her.

"You never answered my question," she said, moving slightly closer.

Danny shook his head. "I don't know. Stella is a fire cracker and I think she was good for Mac after he lost Claire."

"I read about him in the paper but I've never spoken to him about his wife," she commented, brushing her leg against his slightly as she picked off some lint from his jacket. "Did you meet her?"

Danny blinked a few times and licked his lips. He couldn't believe it but she was actually flirting with him. It was so subtle. Most women would say flat out what they wanted from him and what they wanted to do with him. Lindsay was being coy and something told Danny the petite brunette in front of him was doing it on purpose. It was getting to be irresistible.

"Not really. She and Stella were friends," he said, his voice low.

The girl in the smock put their coffees on the counter and Danny knew he had to get some city air into his lungs to clear his head. If they didn't have work, he would have hailed a cab and pulled her up to his apartment to do primal and wild things with her.

It occurred to Danny that Mac must have known how Danny would react to Lindsay's arrival. It might not have been at the top of his concerns but he must have known. Mac knew it was only inevitable for Danny to tease and give Lindsay a hard time. Their boss also knew he'd find Lindsay's go-getter attitude annoying but charming. He also knew that he'd like a woman who was up for anything and interested in tasting everything about the city.

_Dammit Mac_, Danny thought.

"I think Stella knew how to handle Claire's death better than any of us did," Danny contemplated. "He never really let it affect his job. Mac's a great teacher."

"He is, I'm learning so much already," she replied. "Sometimes it's hard to keep up."

"For what it's worth, he only picks the best of the brightest," Danny replied. "He wouldn't have you move out from Bozeman if he didn't think you had the chops."

Lindsay blushed at the compliment and Danny put his hand between her shoulder blades, giving her a reassuring rub as they approached the building.

"C'mon, if you're good I'll buy you a donut later," he teased.


	4. Subway shoes

Wouldn't you know, Danny's girlfriend called him in the middle of the day after they had questioned Eddie about his DNA on the rug they found their victim wrapped in.

Even though he called Cindy his girlfriend to Hawkes, he ignored the call. Part of him wasn't interested anymore. He and Cindy had a good run but they didn't have a lot in common. Growing up in the Bronx isn't enough to base a relationship on. Whatever Danny's ideal was, he knew it wasn't Cindy. He just didn't want the headache. Answering his phone on the street would involve questions like: _"Where were you last night?" "Why was your phone off?" "Why didn't we watch the game together?"_

Just the thought of that conversation was already giving him a headache. When he put Talk by Coldplay on his phone last week when he realized he wasn't in it for the long haul. He would have to have the "better off as friends" discussion with her.

When he talked with Griffin Holden's brother, he used Lindsay's Big Labowski fan remark without even thinking about it. It occurred to him during the interview he should run things by Lindsay more often.

When he finally got around to calling Cindy back he was on his way to the subway. True to her character, she spent the first ten minutes of the conversation talking about what she did last night when she realized he wasn't coming over. It wasn't surprising women were talkative creatures but Cindy was way beyond the extreme.

For this CSI, there were enough of details in his work. Sometimes, he just wanted a simple answer.

The other end of the phone finally fell silent and Danny realized she must have asked him a question.

"What?" he said.

"I said what did you do last night?" Cindy repeated.

Danny cleared his throat. "I watched the game."

"You turned your phone off," she replied. "And you weren't at home. I just don't understand why you'd make plans with me and then just not show up."

"I tried calling," he said.

It wasn't a total lie. He made the attempt as he walked up the stairs to Lindsay's apartment but hung up after the first ring. Part of him was regretting calling at all but stopping any contact from Cindy was going to be hard. He might not have a new girl in line but he was making plans.

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked.

_Seeing her one last time wouldn't hurt_, he rationalized.

Cindy sighed and described a long drawn out story which eventually explained she was going to go grocery shopping and call her mother.

_If Cindy was any clue, the mother would talk just as much as she does. How the hell would either get in a word in edge wise?_ Danny thought. _That's gonna be one expensive phone-bill._

"So you want to rent a movie or what?" he asked, checking his watch.

He figured if he got there by eight he could be home and in bed by midnight.

As Cindy was contemplating out loud how long everything would take her before he could come over he stopped where he was when he saw Lindsay push past him and several others to run down the stairs to the subway.

"How about I get there at eight?" Danny suggested and Cindy agreed. "I'll talk to you later."

He put his phone back in his pocket and ran down the stairs to catch up with her.

"Hey, Montana!" he called on the stairs and Lindsay turned around without thinking. He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes as she moved to get on the open subway car.

"Wait up, Monroe," he called as he caught up with her.

Danny put his hand on her upper arm and guided her onto the subway, the pair just making it onto the car.

As the crowd moved, Danny and Lindsay were pushed to the centre of the car. Danny looked around them and realized she was without anything to hold onto without seriously invading the personal space of a perfect stranger. If the subway made any more sudden movements she'd be on the floor before Danny could say Whoa, Montana.

Lindsay looked around and noted Danny had the last grip. Looking at his hand and then into his eyes, she looked at him like she was waiting for him to give up the handrail for her.

With another smirk, he took a handful of material of jacket at her waist. He could feel the cold buttons in his hand and their proximity allowed him another taste of her perfume. After an eight hour shift at work, the scent was less noticeable than this morning but still a joy to his senses.

"Don't worry, Monroe. I'll hold you steady," he said with a raise of his eyebrows.

Lindsay tucked her hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

Her hand reached out to grab his jacket but she hesitated. Danny glanced around the car, trying to ignore as she gingerly reached for his coat.

"How's the case going?" he asked casually.

With her hand on his waist holding his jacket, he could feel her fingers at his sides. She was so damn distracting.

Lindsay shook her head with a contemplative look. "The Manhattan Minx were all dosed with DNP and had no idea. I worry they could have all ended up like Rose."

"DNP is pretty dangerous stuff," Danny agreed.

"There's so much pressure for those women," she said contemplatively. Lindsay shifted her weight and shook her head sadly. "And all to be just to be some ideal."

A gorgeous young woman stood near the door eyed Danny and then gave Lindsay a smirk. The young woman couldn't be a day over 25 and the look she gave him told Lindsay she would eat him for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

"There's a lot of pressure here," she said with a sigh and looked around the crammed car.

Danny gave her a look. "Who puts the pressure on who?"

Hearing that from a woman like Lindsay didn't surprise him but he wasn't expecting to hear it. Danny was tempted to point out if Lindsay were any smaller she might disappear. If she was inherently petite, she might not understand what a woman who wasn't went through. Whatever her situation, he had to be impressed at her wisdom. Risking one's health to be an ideal weight was a ridiculous trend men and women were both guilty of.

"We're all guilty of it. Men and women put the pressure on each other risk our health like some sort of trend," she replied and Danny looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You disagree?"

"No, I was just thinking the same thing," he retorted and looked at her innocently because he didn't want the next thing out of his mouth to come off like a pick up line. "All women are beautiful. It's about attitude, not the low number on your jeans."

"And Cindy is what? A size two?" Lindsay retorted.

"Four," he replied without thinking and closed his eyes briefly.

Danny wanted to tell her the truth but it wasn't the right time. If he told her he broke up with Cindy, she'd assume it was for the wrong reasons.

"You just proved my point."

Danny eyed her small frame, knowing under her jacket was a very slender woman. He scoffed, "C'mon, what are you? A barely a two?"

Lindsay tugged at her jacket self-consciously. "No."

"They don't have size charts in Montana?" he teased as the subway pulled slowly into the station.

Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Supermodels don't walk around the streets of Bozeman. We don't have photo shoots in our national parks or on our rooftops, so it's not like we're seeing these women in person. There aren't plastic surgeons on every block or health clubs. The pressure isn't as evident. And I'd like to believe if I happened to gain weight because I had a child or because I'm getting older and that's what happens to my body then-"

"Then what?" he interrupted with a grin. She was too adorable, worked up with flared nostrils and slightly flushed cheeks. He wondered if all women in Montana were sensible about their weight or it was just Lindsay being Lindsay. He liked to think it was the latter.

"Well I'd deal with it," she replied. "There's nothing wrong with curves."

Danny looked at her body and she glared at him. He gave a boyish grin. "What?"

The car jerked as the subway began moving again and she fell into him. To keep her from a face plant into the floor, Danny wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her body to his.

"We should get you a pair of subway shoes," he teased with a wink as she regained her balance and stepped away from him. "Cement in the soles and-"

Lindsay cut him off with a playful smack in his stomach and they shared laugh. As they pulled out of the station Lindsay turned her focus to something outside the car.

Danny followed her gaze and frowned. There were Jenna and James, coming down the stairs and just missing the subway. Jenna waved to Lindsay excitedly and Lindsay held up her hand to wave back.

"Too bad they missed the train," Danny retorted dryly and waved to James and Jenna.

James forced a smile and waved back.

"Real New Yorkers pick a team," Danny repeated.

Lindsay looked up at Danny and grinned. "So, thanks for the coffee this morning. I'll buy next time."

Danny nodded. "Two sugars, one cream."

As they pulled into the next stop Lindsay gave his jacket a gentle tug. "See you in two days."

"Are you off?" he called to her as she moved to the door.

"My case is _solved_," she retorted smartly and he shook his head.

As much as she was a pain in the ass, Lindsay Monroe was proving herself every day.


	5. Sports stats

**Author's Note:** I just want to thank everyone who wrote in the positive feedback and reviewed. They're so greatly appreciated!

**Disclaimer: **Danny and Lindsay and the rest of the CSI:NY team don't belong to me, I'm only borrowing them for a while and I promise, I won't damage them in any way.

The following morning after Danny's visit, she was trying to counter the affects of the pizza and beer by over-hydrating. She ran into Hawkes in the break room who made comment of Lindsay's excessive drinking with a grin.

"That's your third bottle of water this morning. Yankee game?" he guessed and Lindsay just looked at him in surprise. "Danny must have broken up with Cindy."

"It wasn't Danny," Lindsay vied and folded her arms across her stomach.

Hawkes looked at her like she was telling him they were turning Trump Tower into a zoo.

"Oh yeah? Who was it?"

"No one," Lindsay lied, guzzling the water down in all attempts to leave the break room. "I watched the game alone."

"Bad news for Cindy," he retorted.

Lindsay finished off her bottle of water and tossed the container into the recycling bin. "I have to go find Mac."

Over the next two days, Lindsay thought long and hard about things with Danny. He was definitely doing his part to rouse her interest but she wasn't sure how much he meant it. Growing a friendship with him would be difficult, mostly because he was too much. Too charming, too handsome and way too restless.

In the end, she resigned him as a man who couldn't be trusted with her heart.

But what a way to go.

_Don't go there, Monroe_, Lindsay scolded herself.

Determined to remain his friend, Lindsay brushed off her night with Danny as a reason not to see his girlfriend.

Back at her apartment, she entered the building after a refreshing run. James was heading down the stairs with a shopping list and his phone in hand.

"Hey, Lindsay," he said with a grin.

Refreshed, rejuvenated and happy she ran, she was feeling good until that moment. James smelled of soap, cologne and aftershave. With an over-sized sweatshirt and sweat pants on, Lindsay suddenly felt like a sweaty pig.

"Hi," she said breathlessly.

"You're really a wildcat aren't you?" he said and Lindsay made a disapproving face. "Oh no!" He laughed. "Your sweatshirt. Every time I see you, you're wearing something with Wildcats or Black Bears printed on it."

If it were possible for her face to flush even more, it did.

She gave him an embarrassed smile. "College teams, they have the best running clothes."

"I'll keep that in mind. You have anything from NYU yet?" he asked, walking down a couple of steps and looking back up at her.

Lindsay shook her head. "Not yet."

"I have a friend who works at the university. Tell Jenna when you want a made-up birthday and we'll see if I can get you something," he said and winked at her.

Lindsay smiled and ran the rest of the way up the stairs. Checking her messages, there were two hang-ups and a short message from Allie that consisted of Allie saying hi, a crash in the background, a toddler crying and Allie hanging up.

Turning on her shower, Lindsay retied her hair into a ponytail and took off her over-sized sweats, leaving her in a tank top and tight running shorts.

As she applied a blue facial mask to her face she sighed, recalling her first case. She had made a list of everything she wanted to see in New York and the Central Park Zoo was crossed off after her first day on the job. Granted, it wasn't the type of visit to the zoo she was hoping for but she made it.

_Maybe I'll take Jenna_, Lindsay mused. _Yeah, Jenna would be a safe person to go with. No complications, no tension, sexual tension..._

It was hard for her to deny his sexuality, especially since they were being pushed toward one another at every turn. Last week they worked a case of a doll-doctor's murder over a secret no one would have known. On the cold street with the snow all around them and Danny's hand wrapped around hers, she could feel her face flushing and her heart beginning to race.

Looking at her hand in his, she pulled away and shoved her hand in her pocket. The warmth of his hand on hers lingered and she tried to slow her heart by counting backwards from one hundred.

And with a casual, "You hungry?" from Danny her heart leapt but her mouth told him no before her body had time to interfere.

_Why did he have to be so sexy?_ she thought. _Why am I hoping he'll see me as far more than friend?_

Her phone rang and Lindsay picked up before she remembered she was screening her calls.

"Hello?"

"Hey kiddo," Allie greeted warmly. "How was your pizza and beer with the pain in the ass?"

"He's got a girlfriend," Lindsay told her friend and she could hear a sigh from the other end. "It was just pizza and beer."

"How many bottles did you have?" Allie asked.

"I'm not going to tell you because the judgement in your voice is saying enough," Lindsay said almost jokingly. She turned the water off in the shower and walked to her living room to have a seat on the floor.

"I'm not saying I think it's a bad idea," Allie started and Lindsay scoffed. "You know you'd have a fantastic time when you're off the clock but working alongside someone you're sleeping with isn't easy."

Lindsay knew what she meant. Tension was high enough on a murder scene. She didn't want to think about the ramifications of two people dating.

"He's not into me like that," Lindsay said beginning some stretches.

"So why do you have a school-girl crush growing?" Allie asked with a smile in her voice.

"I am resigning him to the friend category," Lindsay retorted. "Once we're down that road there are no detours."

"Like what's-his-name who you almost married?" Allie reminded her.

"Almost married!" Lindsay cried. "We weren't!"

Allie had to laugh. "Drop-dead gorgeous doctor proposed, you accepted the ring, you had horses, you lived together. That's almost married. If it weren't for his family-"

"Hey, no regrets," Lindsay interrupted. "Besides, Danny isn't a black doctor with a family like Ty's. He's an Italian guy from the Bronx with a shady past."

"How shady?" Allie asked cautiously.

"I don't know," Lindsay said with a sigh. "For all I've heard about him, I can't really take it with more than a grain of salt."

It was true. The rumours at the lab might spread like wildfire but how accurate or factual was always in question.

"How shady?" Allie repeated.

"Nothing like Bozeman," she reassured her friend as she walked over to her bathroom to take off the mud mask. "I don't know. Kids in New York face different challenges. Drug runners and gangs are always after young kids. I get the feeling when he was younger he was involved in something."

"That's your red flag right there," Allie said. "You had enough of that here."

"I've already told myself not to go there," Lindsay told her friend. "What's the harm in flirting? I'm not exactly his type anyway."

"Don't give me that, Lindsay Monroe," Allie said in her best mommy voice and Lindsay shrunk on her side of the phone. Allie used that tone when she was scolding her children and it stunk to be on the receiving end of it. "You know very well you're a beautiful, smart, funny, attractive woman and he'd be insane not to be interested in you."

"Allie, I'm not going there," she assured her. "So can we drop it?"

"Fine," Allie sighed. "But don't sell yourself short."

"Fine."

"Anyway," Allie started. "I have less than a minute before my kids come screaming in here so you need to tell me anything and everything about your last case."

"We were at the scene of a roller derby played by women and one of them was killed in a pile-up," Lindsay said. "She was dosed with DNP by the owner's wife so she would be thin but it ended up killing her because it causes the body to release heat. She died of hypothermia but took a skate to the face by some pre-school teacher named Hallie on Wheels."

"Sounds awesome," Allie said rushed. She held back a laugh and cleared her throat. "I gotta go, Amy just walked in covered in orange marker and Paula is the culprit."

Lindsay could hear the beginning of Paula's scolding and Amy crying before the receiver made contact with the handset.

As she showered she thought about what she said to Allie about dating a co-worker. It would be hard. Serious distraction would be needed and she wasn't sure where the best place would be to go. Running didn't always do it.

Wearing her robe and sitting in her living room with a cup of tea and a cream cheese covered bagel, she picked up the newspaper and began reading the sports section.

When she finished her current paper, she went to her recycling bin in the corner of her kitchen and read every other sports section she had. She spent the entire afternoon reading about sports and by the end, she was an expert. Ask her the stats on anyone mentioned in the last two weeks and Lindsay would tell you. Her hands were covered in black ink and she was sore from sitting on the floor for so long but it had kept her mind off Danny.


	6. The opera dress

In all truth, the last few weeks he was doing what he could to put Lindsay Monroe out of his head. During his last two cases, he rarely saw Lindsay and he had time to get things finished with Cindy.

Just because he and Lindsay weren't working together didn't mean he didn't wasn't thinking of her. As much as he wanted to get her out of his head, she waltzed right into it anyway. The unfortunate part about the subconscious was it never really listened to reason. His vivid imagination was running wild and thought perhaps it was better they weren't working together.

Danny became resolute to think of her as merely a friend and colleague and nothing more.

On the train he gave a smile to a young woman who was eyeballing him but he was too steamed. He turned to look out the window and thought of his coworkers.

As he was catching up on his reports he saw Lindsay almost run toward the staff room. Deciding then was as good a time as any to take a break, he went to grab some coffee.

Lindsay was collecting her Tupperware container from the drying rack by the sink quietly like she was trying not to be noticed. Danny looked over at the clock.

_Not even five and she's sneaking off,_ Danny thought with an approving smirk.

With her head down, Lindsay turned around and jumped when she collided into Danny.

"Where you going?" he said with a smile.

"Out," she said breathlessly, holding her chest. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" he asked with a grin.

Her back was against the sink and she was in the corner of the counter. She tried to step past him but he made no attempt to move.

She gave him a quizzical look. "Do you mind?"

Danny took a step back and followed her to the elevator. "Where you sneaking off to?"

Lindsay blushed but kept her quick stride down the hall. "I have plans."

"You catching a taxi?" he commented with a grin. "Traffic this time of day could be murder."

"That's why I'm leaving now," she said as she pushed the down-button impatiently. She watched the lights above the elevator tell her the car was getting closer but she still shifted in her spot impatiently.

"Mac know you're heading out early?" Danny asked as he glanced around the lab.

It would have been fun to get her in trouble and make her stay to finish the reports with him, possibly missing whatever she was going to.

"He left fifteen minutes ago," Lindsay said. "He said he had plans."

Danny frowned. "Oh."

"Looks like you'll only have the case files to keep you company now," she said with a grin and the elevator doors opened. "Thank god," she sighed and stepped onto the elevator. "See you later!"

Danny opened his mouth to reply but the doors closed and he was left feeling like an ass.

_Great. Montana is on a date and Mac is out so I can't even spoil it for her,_ he thought.

Ruining a date for Aiden was never a smart idea. If he did happen to make such a mistake, it wouldn't bring him any kind of satisfaction like ruining a date for Lindsay would. It was a little childish but he didn't really care. If she stuck around then he might be able to get her to get a bite to eat or something.

_Why does the idea of something sound so much better?_ Danny thought.

On his ride home he couldn't believe his luck. Pulling Mac from the mayor's party just made him feel guilty.

It was bad enough they were working a case right after he finished an eight-hour shift but she had to walk onto the scene in _that_ dress. What was she trying to do, kill him?

As they started looking over the body, he heard the familiar crunch of footsteps on gravel and did a double take. High heels, low cut neckline and just enough leg while carrying a kit. He had to stand up.

"Well, hello Miss Monroe," he greeted her with a hopeful grin. "You clean up nice." _That was an understatement_. "Were you at the mayor's party too?"

Lindsay brushed past him and set down her kit. As she leaned sideways, the dress revealed the bustier was also acting as a bra and Danny had to quickly think of flesh wounds to keep himself calm.

_Jesus. Help me out here_, he thought.

"I was at the opera," she said with a smile that said she was waiting for Danny to harass her.

"I am hanging out with all the wrong people, you know that?" he said to no one in particular.

Lindsay and Mac both laughed but he meant it. Mac's friends invited him to a black tie event for the mayor while James' friend got Lindsay the opera tickets. Cancel the Yankee game - he could sit through two hours of opera if it meant another dress like that.

Mac told them to interview the conductor while he followed the evidence on the body. It was obvious they weren't going home to sleep any time soon and Lindsay would have to work for an hour or two in what she had on.

_Lucky me_, he thought with a grin.

Danny got them a ride with a patrol car to the lab where they soon found the name of the subway conductor and made an appointment with him to meet them at a station house for questioning.

On the elevator ride down Lindsay bit her lip and shuffled her feet nervously. Danny glanced over at her.

"You all right there, Monroe?" he asked.

"First date I've had here and I'm walking home," she said under her breath.

Danny leaned in. "What was that?"

Lindsay sighed and her cheeks flushed. "I was just saying I don't have a way to get home."

Danny felt torn. He was secretly happy her date was broken up but unhappy she went in the first place. "That's rough."

"No assistance to the new girl?" she retorted. "C'mon, I waded through tiger dung and a dumpster already. You also interrupted my night at the opera. I should get something."

"Well normally I'd tell you about taxi vouchers they give us when we aren't using the lab trucks but it's a little late to do that since we're already on our way down." he said and she sighed unhappily. "But not to worry. Your knight in shining armour is here and I have the keys to a truck."

Lindsay turned to him and smiled as she put one hand on her hip under her jacket and opening the view to the dress again. "Does that mean you're going to give me a ride?"

Danny scratched his head with the key and took a step back from her to take one more look at her in the dress. He nodded and she gave his arm a little squeeze. As they leaned against the elevator wall, neither of them spoke the next twenty-six floors.

On the drive back to Lindsay's apartment, he glanced over at her legs a couple of times and noticed one thing was missing.

_When did she take off her nylons?_

"What time do you want to meet in the morning?" she asked.

"I'll come pick you up in six hours," he said as he glanced down at her bare legs again. "That should give us enough time before we meet with the conductor."

Lindsay nodded and looked back out the window. "Did you ever try subway surfing?"

Danny grinned. "Once maybe. Staten Island kids are big on one-upping each other."

"So _that's_ what it is about you," Lindsay retorted and made a mental note about the location of his upbringing.

He pulled in front of her building and shut off the car. Lindsay looked at him curiously as he got out and ran around to open her door. He held out her elbow for her to take and she took it cautiously.

"First date in the big city, someone should walk you to your door at least," he said and pressed the lock button on the key remote.

Lindsay smiled and did her best to focus on getting to her apartment without her knees giving out.

"Your elevator still out of commission?" he asked as she put her key in the building door.

"It was working earlier," she said and he placed a hand on her lower back as he followed her inside. There was the familiar sign on the elevator door and Lindsay made her way to the stairs. "Maybe not."

Danny moved quickly and opened the door for her. They got to her floor quickly, stopping to say hi to a few night owl neighbours doing laundry.

"Thanks for the ride," she said as she put her key in the lock.

Danny walked up behind her and she turned around to say good night. Their proximity was dangerous but for every argument he made in his mind it was a bad idea, he only needed one reason to counter it.

Danny took one small step and leaned in. Gently, he pressed his lips to hers. It was soft, much softer than she would have expected from him and her lips parted instinctively.

He took that as an invitation and slid his tongue against hers while he held her body against the wall. Her mouth tasted sweet and soft and he moved one hand down her body to her hip.

Lindsay sighed and he ended the kiss gently. He pressed his lips together, tasting her once again and they smiled at one another.

She put her hands on his shoulders to put some distance between them. Danny took the hint and took a step back.

"Good night, Messer," she said.

Danny nodded and kissed her cheek quickly. "I'll pick you up in six hours."

Lindsay disappeared behind her door and Danny ran down the stairs with skip in his step. Things might be a little more complicated but he could live with that.


End file.
